Pale Watery Pink Lady Flymph

[Roadkill]

gingerdun,

This is something I would test fish along with your Pink & Partridge Flymph for an Epeorus Pink Lady hatch to see if thread color contrast is a key trigger.
Hook- Mustad 3906B #14
Thread- Pearsalls Gossamer Yellow
Dubbing- Mixed natural wool and Aunt Lydia's rug yarn Medium Pink
Tail and Hackle-Honey Dun Hen

B0092490 by William Lovelace, on Flickr

Just added to my Montana fly box due to your inspiration!!

[DUBBN]

Exquisite tie. My favorite hook too.

[William Anderson]

Nice combination, Bill. I would live to fish that hatch someday. This looks like it would do the job in a lot of water on this side of things as well. I have some special red fox that is stained (on hold until I can pick it up) and would make a lovely body for this fly as well.

[gingerdun]

Hi Bill,
Beautiful fly. Something for me to learn from. Sparse hackle, big tail (!), no rib, and very shaggy, sparse acrylic dubbing (from Aunt Lydia's yarn line). Real style to that fly, and beautiful color. I have that hook in #12, but not 14. Looks like a sturdy wire, difficult for a trout to straighten.

What have you to say on the relative merits of wool v. acrylic dubbing fibers? Being a traditionalist, I've tended toward the natural fibers. Do you find them interchangeable?

Lance

[Roadkill]

Lance,

The hook should be comparable to the Daiichi 1560 you used in your Pink post on the P&Os.

Aunt Lydia's Rug Yarn (100% polyester) has been discontinued and replaced by some crafters by Caron Rug and Craft Yarn (100% acrylic) I think of AL rug yarn as one of the earlier sparkle yarns and blend it for many colors and add natural fibers especially dyed rabbit blends. I wouldn't call them interchangeable but rather complementary on a spectrum of dubbing blends and uses including natural furs, tri-lobal Antron, Zelon and craft store yarns including all the various synthetics.

Some of the old Mike Conner posts about making dubbing may have more information.

[gingerdun]

Thanks, Bill.

I have to say, I was sorry to learn in my Google search that Lydia was not actually your aunt. Darn.

The current issue of TROUT (now my favorite magazine in the world for its writing and design and photography) has the first in a new series of articles on trout flies by Dave Whitlock. In it Dave offers his own open-minded opinion on the merits of both natural and synthetic tying materials. Very diplomatic, offending no one.

More controversial for me is that big whopper of a tail on your fly. That is heresy in the Leisenring world, isn't it? But I caught some big fish last week on a #12 experimental flymph with an equally conspicuous tail that I tied in my early days here on the forum. Fish liked it a lot.

[letumgo]

Lovely fly Bill, and no doubt an effective pattern.

[fly_fischa]

What a gorgeous looking fly, stunning

[tie2fish]

Outstanding pattern, Bill. The colors, textures, and proportions work perfectly with each other.